340 research outputs found
Adaptive Optics Feedback Control
This book is a collection of 19 articles which reflect the courses given at the CollĂšge de France/Summer school âReconstruction d'images â Applications astrophysiquesâ held in Nice and FrĂ©jus, France, from June 18 to 22, 2012. The articles presented in this volume address emerging concepts and methods that are useful in the complex process of improving our knowledge of the celestial objects, including Earth
Historical evolution of the concept of anorexia nervosa and relationships with orthorexia nervosa, autism, and obsessive-compulsive spectrum
Eating disorders have been defined as "characterized by persistence disturbance of eating or eating-related behavior that results in the altered consumption or absorption of food and that significantly impairs health or psychosocial functioning". The psychopathology of eating disorders changed across time under the influence of environmental factors, determining the emergence of new phenotypes. Some of these conditions are still under investigation and are not clearly identified as independent diagnostic entities. In this review, the historic evolution of the eating disorder concept up to the recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, has been evaluated. We also examined literature supporting the inclusion of new emergent eating behaviors within the eating disorder spectrum, and their relationship with anorexia, autism, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In particular, we focused on what is known about the symptoms, epidemiology, assessment, and diagnostic boundaries of a new problematic eating pattern called orthorexia nervosa that could be accepted as a new psychological syndrome, as emphasized by an increasing number of scientific articles in the last few years
Cross-cultural adaptation, reliability and validity of the Italian version of the craniofacial pain and disability inventory in patients with chronic temporomandibular joint disorders
BACKGROUND: To develop an Italian version of the Craniofacial Pain Disability Inventory (CFPDI-I) and investigate its psychometric abilities in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). METHODS: The CFPDI was translated following international standards. The psychometric analyses included reliability by internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and test/retest stability (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC); construct validity was investigated by matching (a priori hypotheses) the CFPDI-I with the Italian Neck Disability Index (NDI-I), a pain intensity numerical rating scale (NRS), the Italian Pain Catastrophising Scale (PCS-I), the Italian Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK-I), and the Italian Migraine Disability Assessment Score Questionnaire (MIDAS) (Pearson's correlation). Alpha was set at 0.05. RESULTS: Two hundred and twelve patients with chronic TMD completed the tool. The questionnaire was internally consistent (\u3b1 =\u20090.95) and its stability was good (ICCs\u2009=\u20090.91). As hypothesised, validity figures showed CFPDI-I strongly correlated with the NDI-I (r =\u20090.66, p <\u20090.05) and moderately correlated with the NRS (r =\u20090.48, p <\u20090.05), PCS (r =\u20090.37, p <\u20090.05), TSKI (r =\u20090.35, p <\u20090.05) and MIDAS (r =\u20090.47, p <\u20090.05). Similar estimates were shown by CFPDI-I subscales. CONCLUSIONS: The cross-culturally adapted version of the Craniofacial Pain and Disability Inventory (CFPDI-I) showed satisfactory psychometric properties that replicate those of the original version and, therefore, can be implemented in the clinical assessment of Italian people affected by TMD
Isolation and phenotyping of potential stem cells from the umbilical cord of the bottlenose dolphin(Tursiops truncatus)
We have successfully isolated cells with stem-like properties from bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) umbilical cord. Our results show that this cetacean species has embryonic fetal and adult stem cells as do humans and other studied mammals. This accomplishment allows to eventually investigate whether dolphins, due to their unique adaptations to aquatic environments, have special stem cell lineages or distinctive mechanisms of cell programming. Further characterization of their potency to differentiate into multiple cell lineages would fulfill numerous applicative purposes. We characterized, developed and refined a new protocol for obtaining potential stem cells from umbilical cord tissues of the bottlenose dolphin. Tissue samples were taken from umbilical cords of successful deliveries immediately after placenta ejection and collection from the water. Umbilical cord samples (2-3 cm3) were excised and subjected to enzymatic digestion and mechanical dissociation. Viable cells from specimens resident in the Oceanografic Valencia were cultured and subsequently isolated and tested for pluripotent characteristics (cell morphology, phenotype and expression of surface markers). Cell viability was confirmed also after freezing/thawing. The established protocol is suitable for collection/isolation/culture of dolphin potential mesenchymal stem cells from dolphin umbilical cord, which can be deposited in cell banks for future research needs
Impact of depression on circulating endothelial progenitor cells in patients with acute coronary syndromes
Aims: Depression has been identified as a risk factor for an
adverse prognosis and reduced survival in patients with
acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The number of endothelial
progenitor cells (EPCs) is an independent predictor of
clinical outcomes in patients with ACS. The aim was to
evaluate the impact of depression on EPC levels in patients
with ACS.
Methods: Out of 74 ACS patients [23 non-ST-segment
elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), 48 STEMI], 36 had
a diagnosis of major depressive episode (MDE) according
to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th
edition (DSM-IV) criteria at the time of the inclusion in the
study. Control groups were as follows: 15 healthy
individuals and 18 patients with current MDE without a
history of cardiovascular diseases. EPCs were defined as
CD34RCD133RKDRR and evaluated by flow cytometry. All
patients underwent standardized cardiological and
psychopathological evaluations. Parametric and
nonparametric statistical tests were performed wherever
appropriate.
Results: ACS patients with MDE showed a significant
decrease in circulating EPC number compared with ACS
patients without MDE (P <0.001). The ACS study population
was then subdivided into STEMI and NSTEMI groups, and
inside each group again patients with MDE showed a
significant decrease in circulating CD34RCD133RKDRR
EPCs compared with others (P <0.001).
Conclusion: We showed that ACS patients with MDE
have a reduced number of circulating CD34RCD133RKDRR
cells compared with ACS patients without MDE, suggesting
that the presence of MDE reduces the response of bone
marrow to acute ischemic events. Considering the
reparative role of EPCs in ACS patients, we suppose that
patients with MDE might be protected less than patients
without MDE
Clinical correlates of complicated grief among individuals with acute coronary syndromes
OBJECTIVE:
The study aimed at exploring bereavement and complicated grief (CG) symptoms among subjects without a history of coronary heart disease (CHD) at the time of a first acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and to evaluate the relationship of CG symptoms and ACS.
METHOD:
Overall, 149 subjects with ACS (namely, acute myocardial infarct with or without ST-segment elevation or unstable angina), with no previous history of CHD, admitted to three cardiac intensive care units were included and evaluated by the Structured Clinical Interview for Complicated Grief (SCI-CG), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (MOS-SF-36).
RESULTS:
Of the total sample of 149 subjects with ACS, 118 (79.2%) met criteria for DSM-5 persistent complex bereavement disorder. Among these, subjects who lost a partner, child, or sibling were older (P=0.008), less likely to be working (P=0.032), and more likely to be suffering from hypertension (P=0.021), returned higher scores on the SCI-CG (P=0.001) and developed the index ACS more frequently between 12 and 48 months after the death than those who lost a parent or another relative (Pâ€0.0001). The occurrence of ACS 12-48 months (P=0.019) after the loss was positively correlated with SCI-CG scores. An inverse relationship with SCI-CG scores was observed for patients who experienced ACS more than 48 months after the loss (P=0.005). The SCI-CG scores significantly predicted lower scores on the "general health" domain of MOS-SF-36 (P=0.030), as well as lower scores on "emotional well-being" domain (P=0.010).
CONCLUSION:
A great proportion of subjects with ACS report the loss of a loved one. Among these, the loss of a close relative and the severity of CG symptoms are associated with poorer health status. Our data corroborate previous data indicating a strong relationship between CG symptoms and severe cardiac problems
Biological markers for anxiety disorders, OCD and PTSD: A consensus statement. Part II: Neurochemistry, neurophysiology and neurocognition.
OBJECTIVE: Biomarkers are defined as anatomical, biochemical or physiological traits that are specific to certain disorders or syndromes. The objective of this paper is to summarise the current knowledge of biomarkers for anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS: Findings in biomarker research were reviewed by a task force of international experts in the field, consisting of members of the World Federation of Societies for Biological Psychiatry Task Force on Biological Markers and of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Anxiety Disorders Research Network. RESULTS: The present article (Part II) summarises findings on potential biomarkers in neurochemistry (neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine or GABA, neuropeptides such as cholecystokinin, neurokinins, atrial natriuretic peptide, or oxytocin, the HPA axis, neurotrophic factors such as NGF and BDNF, immunology and CO2 hypersensitivity), neurophysiology (EEG, heart rate variability) and neurocognition. The accompanying paper (Part I) focuses on neuroimaging and genetics. CONCLUSIONS: Although at present, none of the putative biomarkers is sufficient and specific as a diagnostic tool, an abundance of high quality research has accumulated that should improve our understanding of the neurobiological causes of anxiety disorders, OCD and PTSD.The present work was supported by the Anxiety Disorders Research Network (ADRN) within the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Network Initiative (ECNP-NI). Katherina Domschkeâs work was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG), Collaborative Research Centre âFear, Anxiety, Anxiety Disordersâ SFB-TRR-58, project C02.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Taylor & Francis via http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15622975.2016.119086
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